Reading types, strategies, attitudes and habits: An investigation of reading behaviors and perceptions in one whole language community college reading classroom

Abstract

In light of current debates over literacy and reading instruction, this study attempts to describe the teaching methods of one community college, Whole Language reading classroom and to detail the metacognitive and affective nature of students' reading by closely examining students' reading behaviors within the classroom. By adopting the role of teacher as researcher, the researcher questions the types of reading and learning which are taking place within the classroom and describes the types of readers--proficient, emerging and developing--and the metacognitive and content strategies these readers use to negotiate various texts. In addition, the students' reading habits and attitudes are surveyed before and after the class.^ The initial findings of the study are that different types of readers use different kinds of metacognitive and content strategies as they negotiate texts. Overall, the reading process strategy (a metacognitive technique) appears to define reading proficiency and helps readers negotiate difficult texts. Also, the students reflected the emphasis of the class in their reading habits and attitudes surveys after the class had ended.^ On the post-class survey, students reported increases in the variety of reading materials read and in their enjoyment of reading. Other findings show, too, that students scored different on two measures of reading skills and that test results did not always match the students' written evidence of reading proficiency. ^

Subject Area

Education, Community College|Education, Language and Literature|Education, Tests and Measurements|Education, Higher